Device for carrying out cutting operations on open format edges of a printed product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279056-B2
Application number	US-201816180042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A device for carrying out cutting operations on at least one open format edge of a printed product, includes: a transport unit configured to transfer the printed product along a guide path from a first cutting location to a second cutting location and from the second cutting location to a third cutting location for an edge-related cutting operation, the transport unit having at least one gripper configured to grip the printed product by its spine to convey the printed product from one cutting location to the next in a suspended manner, and at at least one cutting location, at least one cutting tool configured to perform the edge-related cutting operation comprising a first edge-related cutting operation and optionally at least one second subsequent edge-related cutting operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for carrying out cutting operations on at least one open format edge of at least one printed product, the device being operatively connected to a printed product-related feeding apparatus for position-related orientation of the printed product at a first cutting location of a plurality of cutting locations and the device being operatively connected with a printed product-related removal apparatus at a third cutting location of the cutting locations, the device comprising:
a transport unit,
wherein the transport unit is configured to controllably transfer the printed product along a guide path from the first cutting location to a second cutting location, of the cutting locations, and from the second cutting location to the third cutting location,
wherein the transport unit comprises at least one gripper configured to grip the printed product by a spine of the printed product to convey the printed product along the guide path;

a cutting tool at one of the cutting locations, the cutting tool configured to controllably perform at least one of the cutting operations on a first edge of the at least one open format edge of the printed product; and
a controller operably coupled to the transport unit and the cutting tool, the controller being configured to:
operate the cutting tool to perform a first edge-related cutting operation on the first edge of printed product;
determine whether to perform at least one subsequent edge-related cutting operation on the first edge of the printed product based on a quality of a first cut made by the first edge-related cutting operation on the first edge, and
operate the cutting tool to perform the at least one subsequent edge-related cutting operation on the first edge of the printed product based on determining to perform the at least one subsequent edge-related cutting operation on the printed product.

2. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one subsequent edge-related cutting operation comprises a second edge-related cutting operation,
wherein the controller is configured to operate the cutting tool to perform the second edge-related cutting operation directly after the first edge-related cutting operation,
wherein the cutting tool is operating in a fixed location, and
wherein, prior to the second edge-related cutting operation, the controller is configured to operate the transport unit to displace the printed product, relative to the cutting tool, by a length corresponding to an edge width to be cut in the second edge-related cutting operation.

3. A method for operating the device according to claim 2 , wherein at least the second edge-related cutting operation, making a second subsequent partial cut at a head edge of the printed product, the head edge being the first edge, is performed at the first cutting location as follows:
a) once the first edge-related cutting operation is performed, making a first partial cut, the printed product is securely clamped briefly by the at least one gripper, of a first support of the transport unit, whereupon clamping jaws of a transport clamp open slightly, such that the printed product is positioned relative to the clamping jaws of the transport clamp in a pressure-free manner;
b) clamping jaws of the at least one gripper of the first support of the transport unit now intermediately exert a frictional-connection force on the printed product at the location of the first partial cut, and the clamping jaws of the at least one gripper of the first support of the transport unit provide the printed product with an intertemporal local positioning when the clamping jaws of the transport clamp are open;
c) during this interval, the open clamping jaws of the transport clamp move backwards away from the cutting tool by a length corresponding to a width of the second partial cut;
d) at the end of the travelled length, the clamping jaws of the transport clamp exert a frictional-connection force on the printed product again with coordinated opening of the clamping jaws of the gripper of the first support of the transport unit;
e) the clamping jaws of the transport clamp now displace the clamped printed product forwards in the direction of the cutting tool by the corresponding length for the second partial cut, in such a way that the format edge of the printed product to be trimmed is guided again in the cutting position;
f) immediately before the second partial cut is started, the printed product is pressed by a cutting location-related, beam-shaped press assembly;
g) once the second partial cut is complete, the press assembly travels back in a manner synchronized with the cutting tool, whereupon the clamping jaws of the transport clamp open, and the printed product then is conveyed further on by the first support of the transport device.

4. A method for operating the device according to claim 2 , wherein at least the second edge-related cutting operation, making a second subsequent partial cut at the foot edge of the printed product, the foot edge being the first edge, is performed at the third cutting location as follows:
a) once the first edge-related cutting operation is performed, making a first partial cut, the printed product is securely clamped briefly by the at least one gripper of a second support of the transport unit, whereupon clamping jaws belonging to a clamping apparatus open slightly, such that the printed product is positioned between the clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus in a pressure-free manner;
b) the clamping jaws belonging to the gripper of the second support of the transport unit now, intermediately, exert a frictional-connection force on the printed product at the location of the first partial cut made, and the clamping jaws of the gripper of the second support of the transport unit provide the printed product with an intertemporal local positioning when the clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus are open;
c) during this interval, the open clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus move forward away from the cutting tool by a length corresponding to a width of the second partial cut;
d) at the end of the travelled length, the clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus exert a frictional-connection force on the printed product again with coordinated opening of the clamping jaws of the gripper of the second support of the transport unit;
e) the clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus displace the clamped printed product rearwardly in the direction of the cutting tool by a corresponding length for the second partial cut, in such a way that the format edge of the printed product to be trimmed is guided again in the cutting position;
f) immediately before the second partial cut is started, the printed product is pressed by a cutting location-related, beam-shaped press assembly;
g) once the second partial cut is complete, the press assembly travels back in a manner synchronized with the cutting tool, whereupon the clamping jaws of the clamping apparatus open, and the printed product is then operatively connected to a discharge apparatus and an adjoining ejection apparatus.

5. A method for operating the device according to claim 2 , wherein the second edge-related cutting operation is performed, making a second subsequent partial cut at a front part of the printed product, the front part comprising the first edge, is performed at the second cutting location as follows:
a) once the first edge-related cutting operation is performed, making a first partial cut, the printed product is securely clamped briefly by the at least one gripper of a support of the transport unit, whereupon clamping assemblies belonging to a clamping apparatus open slightly, such that the printed product is positioned between these clamping assemblies in a pressure-free manner;
b) the gripper belong

Assignees

• Mueller Martini Holding Ag

Inventors

• Berger Christoph
• Schmidiger Stephan
• Peyer Reto
• Lenhard Thomas

Classifications

• B26D1/09

  with a plurality of cutting members · CPC title

• B26D7/0633

  by grippers · CPC title

• B26D7/0675

  specially adapted for piles of sheets · CPC title

• B26D2007/0081

  Cutting on three sides, e.g. trilateral trimming · CPC title

• B26D7/025

  acting upon planar surfaces (B26D7/04 takes precedence) · CPC title